Fun things to do in January

January has a reputation for being an uneventful month, but there is still plenty of new adventures to discover in and around Calgary. Kick off 2025 with some outdoor fun or stay nice and cozy inside with some exciting indoor activities.

Ice Trails

The perfect way to spend a January day with the kids! Bring your skates and enjoy the 730-metre ice track in North Glenmore Park or 1.6-km ice track in Bowness Park. Don’t forget hockey sticks and nets, toboggans, sleds and are not allowed on the ice. Learn more at calgary.ca.

Hygge Hut

Hygge Hut returns to RiverWalk for its fifth winter season, bringing you warmth, comfort, and all the cozy winter vibes. This contemporary, Scandinavian-style space is inspired by the Danish idea of Hygge, which means a special kind of well-being. Watch the lights twinkle across the river and warm your hands with crackling firepits ready to welcome you until March 2025. Learn more at evexperience.com.

Banff SnowDays

From January 17 to February 2, Banff and Lake Louise comes alive with the vibrant SnowDays celebration. The streets of downtown Banff transform into a winter wonderland, showcasing larger-than-life snow sculptures, while Lake Louise dazzles with its stunning ice sculptures during Ice Magic. The thrill of skijoring electrifies the atmosphere, with excited onlookers lining Banff Avenue to catch the action. Learn more at banfflakelouise.com.

Heritage Park Bison Exhibit

Come inside and warm up with “Bison.” The exhibit offers a deep dive into the rich history and significance of this iconic North American mammal. In immersive displays and captivating stories, visitors will journey through the bison’s pivotal role in Indigenous cultures, their near-extinction due to overhunting, and the ongoing efforts to restore their populations. Learn more at heritagepark.ca.

Calgary Hitmen Sunday Fundays

With family friendly prices, food offers, and entertainment, you are not going to want to miss Sunday Funday. The West Concourse Family Fun Zone includes face painting, sign-making and coloring, a photobooth, family games, and more. Join after select games for a post-game skate. Learn more at chl.ca.

Cave Tour

Whether you’re looking for thrilling high-adventure, peaceful solitude, or anything in between, you can find it in an undeveloped natural cave in the mountains. Explore, unwind, and learn – all in one unforgettable journey. Rappel into an underground experience you will brag about for years. Learn more at canmorecavetours.com.

Wilder Institute/Calgary Zoo Penguin Walk

After January 11, see the king penguins outside of their habitat as they take a royal promenade through the zoo grounds. Penguin Walk offers the king penguins an opportunity for wintery enrichment as well as additional daily exercise. Penguin Walk is dependent on the birds’ desire to walk as well as the weather, but luckily for onlookers, the colony loves to walk and usually chooses to. Learn more at calgaryzoo.com.

Central Library

Calgary’s Central Library is an architectural masterpiece worth checking out on a chilly day. It’s got everything from a podcast studio and video game centre to a collection of over 450,000 books. Explore on your own or take a free guided tour to get an inside scoop on its history and unique architectural features. Learn more at calgarylibrary.ca.

Crokicurl

Crokicurl is a large-scale version of the Crokinole board game combined with curling. The objective of the game is to score the most points by shooting a small curling rock into the centre button and trying to position the rocks to stay within the highest scoring circle at the end of each round. Visit the rinks at Bowness Park, North Glenmore Park, and Prince’s Island Park and find your new favorite outdoor winter game! Learn more at calgary.ca.

Vivo Indoor Park

Want to get moving but prefer to avoid bundling up? Check out Vivo for Healthier Generation’s indoor park. The 19,500-square-foot park is designed to support spontaneous and less structured activities. The park has loose parts play items that allow you to create whatever your imagination can dream of as well as a seating area, green spaces, and more. Learn more at vivo.ca.